The Pentland Hills - A Walker's Guidebook

A guidebook to walking Scotland's Pentland Hills – a popular, easily accessible range to the south-west of Edinburgh – offer a diversity of landscape as well as a rich natural and cultural heritage. The area's excellent path system, interesting but not too rugged terrain, and proximity to civilisation offer a superb introduction to hill walking in Scotland.

‘The Pentland Hills are homely and friendly hills; they lie near the bounds of our city habitation, and frequent visiting begets an intimacy and friendship that is real and lasting. The most outlying parts may be reached in the course of a day’s walk, and places of silence, where none will intrude, are easily accessible.’ Will Grant’s words from his 1927 book The Call of the Pentlands are as relevant today as when they were first written. The Pentland Hills comprise a rich tapestry of landscapes and landforms, all neatly packaged within an area easily accessible from Scotland’s majestic capital city. Although principally a grass- and heather-clad, softly rounded hill range, the hills reward further exploration by revealing stunning summit vistas, quiet waterside strolls, deeply incised rocky valleys and wooded walks, as well as a fascinating natural and cultural heritage.

The Pentlands are well known to the people of Edinburgh; even for those who have not actually visited them, they form a familiar backdrop to city life. This hill range – Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘hills of home’ – arouses strong feelings, and on their return to Edinburgh, either by road, rail or air, many people regard their first glimpse of the Pentlands as confirmation of finally arriving home.

The Pentland Hills run southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar, covering an area of 210 sq km, and their generally rounded appearance is the result of sculpting by glaciers and meltwater, They reach a maximum height of 579m at Scald Law, although most lie between 400m and 550m in height.

Approximately 90 sq km in the northern sector of the Pentlands was designated a regional park (the Pentland Hills Regional Park) in 1986, with the aim of acknowledging and safeguarding the landscape, wildlife and recreational value of this important location. The regional park benefits from a ranger service, which assists land managers and visitors by maintaining the path infrastructure, providing waymarking and interpretation, and giving advice on responsible access. The path network is well signposted, and a diverse range of cultural and natural heritage adds interest to the scenery.

The Pentlands offer good variety for the walker, with the excellent path system, interesting but not too rugged terrain, and proximity to civilisation adding up to a superb introduction to hill walking in Scotland. These hills are especially suitable for beginners (Walks 1 to 7), although the longer and more remote routes (Walks 11, 13, 14 and 15) in the southern end, which is a more open, exposed and remote landscape, with less obvious waymarking and more challenging navigation on some routes, should satisfy the more seasoned hiker. Walks 19, 20, 24 and 25 should also appeal to more experienced walkers. A basic level of navigational skills is required, but none of the routes should cause any wayfinding difficulties.

My approach to writing this guidebook is to imagine that I, as a countryside ranger, am taking the reader on a walk. It reflects what I would point out and note as a ranger on patrol, with the addition of snippets of research that I have found interesting along the way.

The Pentlands are included in many walking guides about the Lothians and Scotland, but to my knowledge there has, so far, been no walking guide dedicated solely to the Pentland Hills. This shortage of comprehensive walking guides led to the writing of this book.

Approaches and Accommodation

The Pentlands is one of the most accessible hill ranges in Scotland, well served by roads on all sides: the A720 Edinburgh city bypass to the north; the A70 Lanark road to the west; the A721 to the south; the A702 (T) Biggar road to the east. This network of roads means that the hills are readily accessible by car or bicycle, although bus services are variable. The northern end is well served by public transport from Edinburgh, e.g. Lothian Buses number 4 to Hillend (Walks 1, 2, 30), number 10 to Torphin and Bonaly (Walks 4, 5, 29), and number 44 to Balerno (Walks 9 and 10), all leaving from Princes Street in the city centre. A regular service from central Edinburgh to Dumfries, via MacEwen’s Coach Services number 100, uses the A702 (Walks 12, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24 and 25).

A comprehensive leaflet entitled How to Get to the Pentland Hills by Bus, with a map and route suggestions, is available from the Pentland Hills Ranger Service. It can be downloaded from www.pentlandhills.org, or is available from the visitor centres at Flotterstone or Harlaw. Check with local operators for the latest service information, or phone Traveline 0870 608 2608.

For those who need accommodation, Edinburgh offers a great choice – campsites, hostels, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and hotels are all within easy reach. Penicuik, West Linton and Lanark are alternatives, and www.visitscotland.com has details of accommodation for all these locations.

Choosing a Walk

The walks described are a personal selection, chosen to give a flavour of the hills at their best. The Pentlands do not cover a vast tract of land, and inevitably routes cross and cover some of the same ground, but every walk is different in character, and the experience of walking it is influenced by weather, mood, companions and so on. (For each walk there is a brief description, at the beginning, summarising its character.)

As far as possible, the routes are circular, as this reduces the need for additional transport, and reflects the fact that the majority of walkers (myself included) prefer not to retrace their steps. For some walks you need to retrace your steps for a short way, back to the start point, but none is linear. Optional links with other routes in the book are included, to lengthen some walks (e.g. Walks 2, 4, 6, 12 and 16), and informative ‘points of interest’ are found throughout.

The walks are presented in order as follows: starting at Hillend, at the northern end of the Pentlands, nearest Edinburgh, then moving southwest along the A70 down as far as Little Vantage, and finally skipping across to West Linton and back up the A702 to return to the beginning.

The lack of routes along the A70 between Harperrig and Carnwath is a reflection of the lack of public transport, few safe and accessible parking areas, and a shortage of good walking routes with interesting features along the way.

Access Rights and Responsibilities

The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was passed by the Scottish parliament in 2003 and enacted through the Scottish Outdoor Access Code in February 2005. The Act gives everyone the right to be on most land or water for recreation, providing they act responsibly. Acting responsibly means: using stiles to cross fences; leaving gates as you found them; keeping your dog under control; respecting the needs of land managers and other users. There is a long tradition of access by walkers to the Pentlands, and most land managers are tolerant and understanding of responsible recreation.

The Pentlands are used extensively for sheep farming, water catchment, arable crops, military training and game shooting.

Sheep
The lambing and tupping (when the male tupps are mating with the ewes) seasons are particularly sensitive times of year. Lambing usually takes place between March and May, and tupping in November. Dogs must not be taken into fields with lambs (or calves), and must be kept under close control in fields with other animals.

Grouse Shooting
Grouse shoots may take place in August and September. The line of the drive is usually obvious, and well managed and signposted by the estate, but do be extra vigilant during these months.

Military Training
A sector of the northern Pentlands from Dreghorn through to Castlelaw is used by the army for training. Live firing takes place on the ranges near Castlelaw farm and is clearly marked and signposted. Dry training may take place in the sector at any other time, but again is signposted. Please be aware of this, especially on Walks 5, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30. Responsible walking access is not usually affected by military training, but please obey any signage or instructions for your own safety.

Wildlife
The routes described in this book are mainly on paths and tracks, making for easier walking, and minimising disturbance to wildlife. Walking off the path may disturb ground-nesting birds, such as curlew, skylark and red grouse, so please take care where you are walking, especially during the March to July nesting season. Check for details at www.outdooraccess-scotland.com